'Nvidia’s rise built on immigrants': CEO Jensen Huang responds to Trump’s $100,000 H-1B fee

Highlights:

• Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang assures continued H-1B visa sponsorship despite the new $100,000 fee.
  
• President Donald Trump’s executive order raises H-1B application costs for employers.
  
• Huang says immigration is essential to Nvidia’s success and America’s innovation leadership.
  

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has reassured employees that the company will continue sponsoring H-1B visas for foreign workers despite a sharp increase in visa fees announced by the Trump administration last month.

Huang, who immigrated to the United States from Taiwan, addressed staff in an internal message reaffirming Nvidia’s commitment to hiring international talent. His remarks came after President Donald Trump signed an executive order raising the cost of new H-1B visa applications to $100,000, a move widely seen as an effort to push U.S. companies to hire more domestic workers instead of skilled professionals from abroad.

“Nvidia would not be possible without immigration”

In an internal memo first reported by Business Insider on October 7, Huang emphasized the vital role immigrants have played in building Nvidia and driving innovation across the technology sector.

“As one of many immigrants at Nvidia, I know that the opportunities we’ve found in America have profoundly shaped our lives,” Huang wrote. “And the miracle of Nvidia—built by all of you, and by brilliant colleagues around the world—would not be possible without immigration.”

He added that “legal immigration remains essential to ensuring the U.S. continues to lead in technology and ideas,” noting that Nvidia’s success is deeply tied to diversity and global collaboration.

According to Reuters, Nvidia declined to comment publicly on Huang’s internal message.

Trump’s executive order sparks concern

President Trump’s executive order, signed in September, requires employers sponsoring new H-1B applicants to pay an additional $100,000 fee. The rule does not apply to existing H-1B holders or those who submitted applications before September 21.

The administration has defended the measure as a way to “protect American jobs” and promote local hiring. However, critics and industry leaders warn the policy could discourage skilled global talent from joining U.S. tech firms, potentially weakening the nation’s innovation edge.

Silicon Valley’s dependence on global talent

California, home to tech giants such as Nvidia, Google, and Apple, consistently leads the nation in H-1B visa applications, according to data from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

For companies like Nvidia, which rely heavily on highly skilled engineers and researchers from around the world, the visa program remains a key channel for recruiting top talent.

Huang’s message stands as both reassurance for international employees and a quiet pushback against restrictive immigration policies, highlighting that America’s technological strength, much like Nvidia’s success, has been built on openness, opportunity, and innovation.